Kariobangi Sharks vs Leopards
Nyayo National Stadium
29.06.2024, 13:00
The third-place match between the Kariobangi Sharks and Leopards is set for the early hours of Saturday, June 29th. It will be held at the 30,000-capacity Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi, Kenya. Both clubs will be looking at ending their season on a good note after finishing below the top three positions. Let's delve right into the analysis of this match and who will prevail.
Claim Welcome BonusKariobangi Sharks
The Kariobangi Sharks just missed out on their chance to fight for the trophy after a penalty shootout in which Stanley Wilson and Geoffrey Onyango missed in the semifinals. In the round of 16, they played the Ulinzi Stars, which ended in a win as Fortune Omoto equalized the first-half goal and John Makwatta scored the winning goal. Makwatta's goal came in the first half against Assad in the quarterfinals. However, despite dragging KCB into extra time, the Kariobangi Sharks couldn't register a winning goal as usual. Their premier league form has also not been too strong, especially in their last five games, recording two wins, two losses, and one draw.
Leopards
Leopards are coming into this match as an underdog after a 1–0 semifinal loss to Police FC, who scored 7 minutes into the match. They are currently at three losses, one win, and one draw in their last five matches. In the qualifier round, they defeated Shabana in a 1–0 victory. They displayed their goal-scoring threat ability in the quarterfinals, as Arthur Gitego got a brace in the 3-1 final score against Compel. In the Kenya Premier League, they have been able to put up a fight for a top-ten finish. They were relegated in 2008 but got automatic promotion the following year. They have also won the domestic competition 10 times.
Analysis and Prediction
The Kariobangi Sharks had a 2–0 loss to the Leopards in the GOTV shield finals. They have faced each other a total of 15 times since 2017, with both sides sharing the spoils with four wins each. The Leopards are the most improved team, ranking 5th, 3 points above the Kariobangi Sharks, who finished their season with 48 points. They have done this due to their defensive tactics, being the second-lowest conceding team aside from title winner Gor Mahia this season. It is a very tight contest, and we see this match ending in a draw as both sides won't be letting their guards down.